Tuesday, 18 January 2011

Our first feature of 2011 comes courtesy of Dutch don Rik Kooyman, AKA, Myrkur. Possessing an expansive production repertoire, underpinned by a diverse and complex range of influences, Myrkur has consistently delivered quality beats of real originality. We caught up with the man for the low-down on the Dutch scene, his influences and aspirations for the New Year. Myrkur has also put together an exclusive mix representing the full spectrum of his current musical tastes, with an extensive dubplate showcase of his beats as well as exclusives from others. Enjoi:

Hedmuk: For those who don't know, what's your name, where are you from and how would you describe your sound?

Myrkur: My real name is Rik Kooyman and I currently live in Santpoort Noord, in Holland. My sound has changed quite a bit throughout the years. My first tunes were very much inspired by Postrock and IDM. Then I became interested in Detroit Techno and that influenced my music a lot. Lately I'm really into the dark half-step vibe that's happening again.

H: How did you get in to producing beats?

M: I was already making music before I started making Dubstep tunes. I recorded songs on my PC with acoustic guitar and piano.

M: In terms of music I intended for listening at home it would definitely be "Why". I find melody and atmosphere very important and I was really pleased how this tune turned out. If I had to pick one of my tunes I really intended to be played in a club I would say "Immortal" or "Metropolis". Both are completely different but I like them both a lot.

H: Who or what influences the music you make?

M: My main influences from outside the Dubstep scene would be Radiohead, Sigur Rós, Mono, Mogwai, Helios and Aphex Twin. From within the Dubstep scene itself I would say definitely Kryptic Minds at the moment, as well as Breakage, 2562, anyone who's really pushing the sound forward actually.

H: We'd be interested to hear your views on the Dutch bass music scene (TMSV was certainly positive about it). Is it a strong scene? What are your favourite nights and places to play?

M: Holland has always been one of the biggest countries in terms of Dubstep. There have been some massive events here and there's still loads of stuff happening each weekend. The scene itself is quite compact, with everyone pretty much knowing each other. There are some excellent producers out there, such as (ofcourse) TMSV, but also Presk, Inofaith, Akkachar and Astroposer just to name a few.

H: Your mix touches on quite a few different styles. We noticed the same with the tunes you have on your Soundcloud: there's the relaxing feel of tunes like 'Away' and 'Bliss' on the one hand and a deeper, darker vibe on tunes like 'Momentum' and 'Void'. Do you make any attempt to define your music stylistically? Into genres such as dubstep, future garage, Autonomic for instance?

M: I'm quite schizophrenic in that aspect actually (laughs). I just make whatever comes up or whatever I feel like making. It depends completely on my mood and inspiration. The biggest separation I make while starting a tune is if I want to make something to play in a club or something which should be listened to at home.

H: Were you trying to get at anything in particular with this mix with your selection and blends?

M: I built this mix up from 3 parts. The first part is mainly a showcase of some of my tunes, as well as some other tunes I love at the moment. The second part is mostly made out of IDM and D&B. The third part is some IDM stuff. I blended the three parts with some ambient in between them. The whole thing kinda represents my current taste in (electronic) music.

H: Seeing as its January I wondered if you could share your musical goals for year with us: what do you want to have achieved by January 2012?

M: Well 2011 should be a good year. I'm planning to launch a record label and I hope the events I organize with Radical will continue to thrive. Music-wise I hope I'll be able to create some tunes I'll be happy with. I'm quite fickle with my inspiration so I never know what will happen.

H: Just to finish off, any forthcomings or plans in the pipe-line you would like to share?

M: There are a couple of releases forthcoming. "Metropolis" and "Pulse" will be released on 12" on Deity Records. Also, "Homecoming" together with the Von D remix of that tune is still forthcoming on Subbalicious. I'm also planning to release some of my own music on my own label as soon as it has launched.